Banning pupils from using mobile phones at a high school a year ago has made a \u201cmassive difference\u201d and even helped improve exam results.<\/p>\n
Ann Webb, the headteacher at Ysgol John Bright, in Llandudno, said the pupils were now much more sociable while they were in school and concentrated better in lessons.<\/p>\n
The strict rule applies at any time during the school day, even during breaks or at lunchtime.<\/p>\n
If any pupil is caught using a mobile phone anywhere on the campus it is confiscated until the end of the school day.<\/p>\n
The parent or carer is contacted if it keeps happening and the phone will not be returned until they come in to pick it up.<\/p>\n
At the same time, Mrs Webb has also strengthened the school\u2019s well-being and behaviour team which now includes 10 members of staff.<\/p>\n
According to Mrs Webb, the introduction of the ban played a part in helping the students to attain better GCSE and A level results this summer.<\/p>\n
The GCSE pupils achieved a 10 per cent improvement on last year\u2019s results with nearly a quarter of them getting five A star or A grades.<\/p>\n
It was a similar story at A level with 79 per cent of students gaining A star to C grades at A-level with 62 per cent getting at least one A and 11 per cent three As.<\/p>\n
Mrs Webb said: \u201cWe have a team of staff outside the entrance, to the school in the morning, all very visible and all children are required to switch their phones off and put it into their bags.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe rest of our staff are out on corridors in the morning talking to students, talking to each other and just making sure that rule is enforced.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be fair once we\u2019ve got this rule established it is just not an issue during the school day at all. You will not see a student with a mobile phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cBanning the use of mobile phones in the school at all times during the school day has made a massive difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t envisage us ever going back to allowing the pupils to bring out their mobile phones now.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has certainly improved the atmosphere at the school because the pupils are more sociable.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause they\u2019re not glued to their phones when they arrive at school, they have to engage in social communication and when they go to the library they\u2019re looking at books instead of their phones or they\u2019re discussing things with their peers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also made a difference to engagement in lessons because the phones are not available as a distraction.<\/p>\n
\u201cI genuinely think the pupils have welcomed the break from social media and, because the situation is clear cut, everybody complies. It\u2019s a black and white rule that\u2019s applied consistently.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only exception is the sixth form who have the privilege of being able to use their mobile phones in their social areas and we ask staff not to use phones in the presence of students.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ban has been backed to the hilt by the school governors who were pleased to see the positive impact it\u2019s had.<\/p>\n
Chair Carla Forfar said: \u201cIt\u2019s probably no accident that we\u2019ve had some cracking results this summer, both at A level and GCSE.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is all about raising the standards of the school universally and there is research out there that suggests that schools that do ban mobile phones have an uplift in performance because students are more engaged and concentrating in lessons and learning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ban is just one part of a comprehensive improvement strategy around standards of behaviour.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs part the strategy, the leadership team has been strengthened and the headteacher is developing managers within the school, while a number of staff have been given the opportunity to go on an outstanding teacher programme.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough mobile phones are banned, Ysgol John Bright uses the very best technology to assist learning.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, all our staff and students have access to the Google suite of software which is all cloud-based, and it means that students can access work at school or at home. \u201cTeachers can have virtual classrooms where they can put all students\u2019 work so they can access it at home as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means that we\u2019re less paper-based, but it also means that not having mobile phones is not an issue at all because we\u2019ve got such a strong infrastructure of technology in the school.\u201d<\/p>\n